Through the publication of a series of images on social media, it has been revealed that a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft was intercepted over the Black Sea by a fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces, amid tense negotiations between the leaders of both countries to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. surveillance aircraft in question stands out among others of its class for being equipped with an advanced radar under its fuselage, which has been identified by open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources as an AN/APS-154 AESA system, suggesting the mission the aircraft was conducting while flying over the region.
Expanding on the details, it can be confirmed that the multimedia material was published along with a brief description on a Russian aviation-focused Telegram channel, noting that the interception allegedly took place on August 27. This is not a minor detail, considering that through tracking applications it was observed on the same date that a U.S. P-8 Poseidon departed from Sigonella Air Base bound for the Black Sea, an area where it conducted a surveillance route for about four hours and where it was reportedly intercepted by the Russian fighter, before subsequently returning to Italy.
Furthermore, while it is not entirely clear at the time of publication of the images, analysts seem to indicate that the Russian fighter deployed for the maneuver was likely a Su-35S, a model already used on previous occasions for such interceptions since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. It is also not specified at what point the Russian aircraft approached its target, although according to the aforementioned tracking data, the P-8A Poseidon came within about 50 nautical miles of the city of Sochi.
Nevertheless, as initially mentioned, attention was focused not only on the interception but also on the peculiar AN/APS-154 AESA radar with which the U.S. Navy P-8A was equipped. According to analyses from specialized U.S. outlets, this system began development in 2009 and was first tested in 2014, with this being the first time it has been observed in a mission over the Black Sea. Moreover, it is one of the few instances where the radar was seen fully deployed, unlike previous images showing it retracted—a design intended to prevent the aircraft’s own engines from obstructing the radar.
As this is a system not frequently seen, many details regarding its technical characteristics remain unknown, but it can be confirmed that it is a development by the U.S. company Raytheon. It is an AESA radar with a Moving Target Indicator (MTI) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) functions, which facilitate the detection of targets on land and at sea. Additionally, local sources indicate that it stands out for its long detection range of enemy ships, even under adverse weather conditions and regardless of whether missions are carried out at night. In summary, there are speculations that the system may include elements of electronic warfare, although this lacks official confirmation.
Image credits to their respective owners.
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